Preparedness becomes stronger when partners have the opportunity to meet, understand one another’s roles, and build relationships before an emergency occurs. That was the focus of a recent visit hosted by Calleguas Municipal Water District, bringing CUEA together with Calleguas staff and leadership, the Ventura County Office of Emergency Services, and Ventura County Public Health.
Calleguas plays a critical role in the region’s water system. The district supplies water on a wholesale basis to 19 cities, public water agencies, county waterworks districts, investor-owned utilities, and mutual water companies throughout southeastern Ventura County. Those local providers then deliver water directly to approximately 650,000 residents and businesses across the region.
The visit provided an opportunity to learn more about Calleguas’s regional role while beginning a broader planning conversation about where the water sector fits within Ventura County’s preparedness and response structure.
Participants discussed their respective roles and responsibilities, considered which additional utilities and agencies should be included in future conversations, and explored how Calleguas’s 19 retail water providers could become more closely connected to countywide preparedness efforts.
Bringing these perspectives together is important because every organization sees a different part of the emergency picture. Water providers understand the operational needs and vulnerabilities affecting their systems. Public health officials help connect reliable water service to community health and safety. Emergency managers coordinate information, priorities, and resources across the county. CUEA helps connect those efforts to the wider network of electric, telecommunications, gas, fuel, water, and wastewater utilities.
The goal of the visit was not to resolve every coordination question in one meeting. It was to begin the conversation, identify who needs to be at the table, and establish a stronger foundation for continued collaboration.
These are the conversations that move preparedness forward. Meeting before a crisis strengthens relationships, improves information sharing, and helps organizations understand how their responsibilities and capabilities fit together when conditions change.
As National Preparedness Month begins, CUEA thanks Calleguas Municipal Water District for hosting the visit and helping lead the way toward stronger cross-utility preparedness. We also thank the Ventura County Office of Emergency Services and Ventura County Public Health for joining the conversation and contributing to a more coordinated and resilient Ventura County.
